November 6, 2019
It was exactly one year ago – on November 6, 2018 – when an overwhelming 70% of Miami Beach voters elected to approve the $439 million G.O. Bond Program. Following that mandate – a G.O. Bond Program team was formed, a citizen led G.O. Bond Oversight Committee was established, a final project list was approved, the first tranche of bonds got issued, and the bonds sold quickly with high demand when they hit the market in mid-April. Less than one month after the extremely successful bond sale, the city celebrated its first G.O. Bond groundbreaking ceremony on Meridian Avenue where two separate citywide projects kicked off construction.
Today, one year since the 2018 referendum and just six months since the first shovels went in ground, three of the 57 total projects have been completed in-full. Nine others have partial completions with some elements of their full scopes executed. Here’s an overview:
| PROJECT NAME | PROJECT SCOPE | AMOUNT COMPLETE | NOTES |
| POLO PARK | Renovate the baseball field to include a new dugout area, additional spectator bleacher seats, higher fencing and safety netting; construct a new concrete perimeter pathway; add new park furnishings; improve irrigation and landscaping. | All | The entire project scope has been 100% executed. |
| CRESPI PARK | Replace the existing perimeter fence with a higher security fencing structure, construct a new walking/jogging path, add fresh paint and new flooring to pavilion and restroom areas. | All | The entire project scope has been 100% executed. |
| STILLWATER PARK | Replace the existing perimeter fence with a higher security fencing structure, construct a new walking/jogging path, add fresh paint and new flooring to pavilion and restroom areas. | All | The entire project scope has been 100% executed. |
| SOUNDSCAPE PARK | Enhance the local arts & culture facility with upgraded WALLCAST technology and equipment, installing a custom 4K ultra-high definition display system; construct a permanent restroom and storage facility. | Some | The technology upgrade is finished. |
| SCOTT RAKOW YOUTH CENTER | Improve structural elements of youth center facilities to include: a fresh paint job, a full roof replacement, pool area renovations and new basketball court flooring; install high impact windows, an emergency generator, a new HVAC system and more security cameras. | Some | Interior and exterior walls have been painted. HVAC and roof replacement are underway. |
| NORTH SHORE PARK & YOUTH CENTER | Improve park features and functions by adding two additional baseball fields with new artificial turf, LED lighting fixtures and more security cameras; replace the aged roof, paint interior walls and construct a new walking/jogging pathway. | Some | Interior walls have been painted. Roof replacement is underway. |
| ROOFS FOR CULTURAL FACILITIES | Preserve and strengthen the cultural facilities at The Fillmore, Miami City Ballet, and The Colony Theater by replacing their aged and leaking roofs with structurally sound and resilient roofs. | Some | The Colony Theatre roof has been replaced. Miami City Ballet roof replacement is underway. |
| STREET TREE MASTERPLAN | Plant up to 5,000 trees citywide, increasing overall shaded tree canopy coverage as part of the city's Street Tree Master Plan. | Some | Over 150 trees have been planted. |
| SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS | Renovate 25% of the city's sidewalks by replacing cracked and faulty sidewalk surfaces in areas citywide. | Some | Over 55,000 square feet of sidewalk has been renovated. |
| STREET PAVEMENT | Improve citywide roadway conditions by re-paving and applying pavement preservation strategies to cracked and deteriorated streets that have been identified to have a below marginal Pavement Condition Index ratings. | Some | Over 52,000 square yards of street pavement has been renovated. |
| LED LIGHTING IN PARKS | Upgrade sports and pathway lighting in Flamingo, North Shore, Normandy Isle, Tatum, Stillwater and Crespi Parks, to a modern LED technology system that illuminates outdoor areas while also saving energy. | Some | LED lights have been installed in Crespi, Stillwater and Tatum Parks. Normandy Isle Park is underway. |
| SECURITY FOR PUBLIC SPACES | Install hostile vehicle barriers and decorative bollards (both stationary and mobile) to Entertainment District areas with frequent event activity and heavy foot traffic. Provide storage for housing portable bollards for use when crowd control is not needed. | Some | 200 mobile/portable hostile vehicle barriers have been purchased and deployed. |
Aside from the projects listed above that have full or partial scope completions, there are three additional projects that are currently under construction. They are:
PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO SYSTEM
Replace the city's outdated Motorola analog radio system with a new Harris Corporation satellite radio system, giving first responders access to a state-of-the-art emergency communications technology network with high tech functions such as seamless interoperability and encrypted data.
*The full scope of this project is underway with expected completion in February 2020.
LICENSE PLATE READERS
Install advanced software recognition technology and License Plate Readers at additional strategic locations across the city to aid crime-prevention efforts.
*Currently, the installation of readers on 71 Street and the MacArthur Causeway are underway with expected completions in December 2019.
TRAFFIC CALMING
Implement various traffic calming features in neighborhoods with heavy traffic and frequent speeding incidents such as: Nautilus, Bayshore, Normandy Isle and Palm View. Include traffic circles, speed humps, designated bike lanes and reduced speed limit signage.
*Currently, traffic calming for the Nautilus neighborhood is underway with expected completion in February 2020.
This month, two other projects (Palm & Hibiscus Landscaping and Middle Beach Beachwalk) will also begin construction. For more detailed information on dollars spent and progress made, explore the Project Dashboard or see the daily Program Progress Report.